Robotic Cardiac Surgery

Albany Medical Center offers robotic assisted cardiac procedures that eliminate the need for traditional open heart surgery and provide the many benefits of robotic assisted and minimally invasive surgeries. Because robotic surgery is performed through a few tiny incisions between the ribs, splitting the breastbone and ribcage is avoided.

Robotic Procedures

Robotic Cardiac Surgery for Mitral Valve Repair/ReplacementThe mitral valve controls blood flow through the heart. With each heartbeat, it opens to allow blood to flow into the heart’s main pumping chamber—the left ventricle. When the left ventricle contracts to push blood through the body, the mitral valve then closes to prevent blood from flowing back into the heart toward the lungs. An abnormal or damaged mitral valve cannot completely seal the heart’s left ventricle, resulting in poor blood flow. In some cases, a mitral valve can be repaired with surgery that rebuilds the tissue of the “leaky” valve with the help of an artificial band that provides stability. Using the da Vinci robot to treat mitral valve disease provide patients with many benefits over traditional open surgery.

Robotic Cardiac Surgery for Atrial Septal DefectAtrial septal defect (ASD) is a heart condition usually present from birth. An ASD is a hole in the wall of the atrium, which is the upper chamber of the heart. If left untreated, an atrial septal defect can result in heart failure or stroke. Atrial septal defect repair may not always require surgical treatment. Surgical closure of the defect is recommended if the the ASD is large of if symptoms occur. For appropriate patients, ASD repair using the da Vinci robot offers a number of potential benefits over traditional open surgery.